About the Book
Vene feels like she and her mother have always been at odds—since she was a child, the first word she used to describe Olivia was “cold.” When news of her mother’s imminent death comes, Vene returns to her family’s home in Napa to see if their strained relationship can be mended, only to find Olivia as harsh as ever and their reconciliation seemingly unreachable.
But when Vene stumbles upon Olivia’s old cookbook, she discovers a passion within her mother she didn’t know existed. The clipped tone and quick judgments of her dying mother don’t match the young woman whose voice she finds between the pages—one that tells a story of romance, longing, duty, and aching heartbreak. Curiosity consumes Vene, and she embarks on an intimate journey to learn about the Olivia she never got to meet—before it’s too late.
A captivating story told in alternating perspectives a half-century apart, One Friday in Napa explores the pains and joys of devotion as two women learn the price of loyalty, the power of secrets, and the meaning of sacrifice.
My Review
This book combines my love of food with Napa Valley, and instantly had me wrapped up in the story of Vene and the strained relationship with her dying mother. Vene returns to her family home in Napa with the hope of being able to find some sort of relationship with her mother, even if in just her final days. While she’s disappointed yet not surprised that her mother doesn’t seem to care as much as she, Vene begins to understand a different side to her mother after finding her old cookbook. She never knew her mother to cook, and the writing inside seems to be from a completely different woman than Vene had ever known – someone loving, caring and who took risks. Vene decides to follow her mother’s footsteps and learn cooking for herself, follow the recipes and her mother’s heartfelt notes along the way.
The journey takes her back in time and she begins to pull back the layers that is her complicated mother, a failed true love, and family secrets that come to light. An emotionally charged novel, I found myself tearing up during multiple chapters at the sacrifice and heartbreak that some of the characters had endured. I loved all the talk of cooking and food, and could easily feel transported to Napa Valley with the spectacular writing and vivid scenery. At the core this is a story of the complicated relationships between mother and daughter, but also touches on love and sacrifice and made for a hard one to put down. A wonderful novel for your end of your reading list.
5 stars
